Lived Experience Forum

[Former-Member]

CARRIE FISHER & BIPOLAR DISORDER<br>When Carrie Fisher passed away at age 60 (2016), she left behind a legacy of being one of the first and most vocal Hollywood celebrities and actors to speak openly about mental illness. Specifically, Fisher battled bipolar disorder and addiction throughout most of her life, but never was shy speaking about these demons, all the while never letting herself be solely defined by them. So while most of the world will remember her as Princess Leia — the fierce, independent heroine in the original Star Wars movies — many people will remember her for her ability to give dignity to those living with a debilitating silent disease — mental illness. As a champion for people with bipolar disorder, and addiction, we remember her today along with millions of others.

Carrier Fisher, died at her home the morning after suffering a heart attack on a flight back back home to Los Angeles from London on Friday. She was the daughter of actress Debbie Reynolds and singer Eddie Fisher, but is best known for her starring role in the science-fiction movie, Star Wars, released in 1977 (as well as its two follow-on sequels).

Although first diagnosed with bipolar disorder at age 24, she didn’t come to accept the diagnosis until five years later. She blames her denial on her battles at the time with addiction (mainly coc#ne throughout the early 1980s).

Given her popular presence on Twitter, it only seems fitting to turn to Twitter to get a glimpse of how well-loved she was — and how much she will be missed. The outpouring of well wishers on Twitter today has been overwhelming, and a tribute to the impact she’s had in helping defeat the discrimination and prejudice that comes with acknowledging one’s battle with a mental illness.

SOME TWITTER TRIBUTES:

#We loved Carrie Fisher and her strong, independent stance and outspokenness when it came to her life and how she dealt with addiction and bipolar disorder (keeping in mind she never thought her condition defined her). She will forever remain an important star in the ongoing battle to help people understand that mental illness is a condition just like any physical disease, so it’s not one to belittle, make fun of, or discriminate against. Perhaps she said it best in her book 'Wishful Drinking': “One of the things that baffles me […] is how there can be so much lingering stigma with regards to mental illness, specifically bipolar disorder. In my opinion, living with manic depression takes a tremendous amount of balls. Not unlike a tour of Afghanistan (though the bombs and bullets, in this case, come from the inside). At times, being bipolar can be an all-consuming challenge, requiring a lot of stamina and even more courage, so if you’re living with this illness and functioning at all, it’s something to be proud of, not ashamed of. They should issue medals along with the steady stream of medication.
Here’s to you Carrie! May you rest in peace.

#CarrieFisher taught me that bipolar disorder is a legitimate chemical setback that is worth battling & that the pain is temporary.

# Carrie Fisher explaining what 'bipolar' means to a little boy at comic :
"Its kind of like a virus in the brain. It makes you go very fast or very sad. Or both, there are fun days. So judgement isn't one of my big good things. But I have a good voice and can write well. I'm not a good bicycle rider. Just Luke everyone else, only louder and faster and sleep more"

#Carrie Fisher was someone who inspired me to be more open about my bipolar. Her legacy continues on in my story as I continue sharing it.

#As someone who suffers from bipolar disorder, Carrie Fisher helped me through so much and showed me how to love &amp; accept myself. RIP Carrie.

#Thank you Carrie Fisher for helping millions of people to speak honestly and openly about mental illness.

#Carrie Fisher taught me that it was ok to be bipolar. That it doesn't make you weird or unlovable or just "other." She will be .

#Carrie Fisher will always be remembered as Princess Leia. But she deserves to be remembered for her passionate mental health advocacy, too.

[Former-Member]

Sad about Carrie Fisher dying Tuesday at only 60yrs (21.10.1956 - 27.10.2016). And Debbie Reynolds (Carrie's mother) died today, at 84, two days after her daughter. I so relate, and my daughter died m/n 26-27th(Jan). Spooky.
Liked Debbie Reynolds movies, so much energy. Didn't know Carrie was such an advocate of MI, or that she suffered so much - shock therapy and all.

Strange how it affects us when Celebrities die. Michael Hutchins, Diana, Robyn Williams too not so long ago. Think we feel we get to know them, emotionally (big part of acting).

[Former-Member]

Bits of CARRIE'S INTERVIEW - Nov 2016

#HOW do you relax? "Badly. I watch old movies, but I don't actually breathe a sigh of relief & relax a lot. I'm too high-strung agitated. I really have to concentrate to relax. I literally have to do things like watch my breathing, tell myself what I'm looking at"

#WHAT are the important rules you live by? "Be kind. Don't hurt people. It's all the sort of Christian ethics, stuff I thought was bull when I was a kid. No, turns out it's not bull. Tell the truth, be kind, all that corny stuff.

#WHAT'S the best advice you ever got? "You don't have to always be comfortable. You don't have to like everything you do. That was shocking to me. I thought I had to like everything I did. When I heard that, it was such a relief."

#Where did you learn that? "A.A. They would say things like, "You don't have to like it. You just have to go. I thought that was amazing. Really? like I can not like this? Well, great. I don't like it!

#WHAT was your favorite book as a child and what does it say about you? "I was a freaky kid. I loved language and I would read all these books. I liked Truman Capote and I was obsessed with Dorothy Parker. I wanted to be her. I was just in love with words and they saved me from a lot of stuff. Books were my first drug. They took me away from everything and I would just consume them"

#WHAT music still moves you the most? "It's all stuff from my youth, like Leonard Cohen, Neil Young and Paul Simon"

#WHAT'S the most important lesson you got out of marriage? "I'm not good at relationships. I'm not cooperative enough. I couldn't give peace. I'm not good at prividing someone with a really peaceful home"

#WHAT advice do you wish someone had given you at age 19? "It was advice I couldn't take: Don't get loaded your whole f#%*ing life. I did. You have to learn, and unfortunately it takes a lot of lessons for some of us to get it right.

#ARE there any upsides to doing drugs? "Yes. I don't think I was ever suicidal, and that's probably because of drugs. I did have … do have this mood disorder, so it probably saves me from the most intense feelings from that. I was able to mute that stuff" but ages body systems.

#ARE there any drugs you wish you'd never touched? "The stronger of the opiate class. I would say heroin. I snorted that. I never did it the full-on way, which is basically what you do when you're trying to k#ll yourself"

#THAT was never your goal, right? "No, never. My line about that in Postcards [From the Edge] is that I was very offended someone would think I was suicidal. They said, "Well, your behavior is suicidal." And I said, "Well, my behavior might be, but I'm not." I literally thought that way" But it is 'risky'

#SHOCK THERAPY - You've been undergoing shock therapy for many years now. What are the biggest misconceptions about that? "Oh, everything ... that you have convulsions. You get put to sleep when they do it. It's very easy and very effective. And it's not used as punishment by nurses in a mental hospital when you're bad, which is how its depicted in literally every movie, both contemporary and past"

#HOW has it changed your life? "At the time I was depressed, and it ended the depression. I couldn't fix it. Medication couldn't fix it. Therapy couldn't fix it, that did!"

#HOW did you find the strength to pick yourself up and recover from so many of your difficult moments? "Well, what are the choices? The choices are dying, so you just have to get to the other side of it. I was always able to trust there was one [other side], and I don't know WHY I thought that"

#ARE you happier now than you've ever been? "Yep. Well, I'm not happy about being older except, what are the options? But I've learned a lot. I trust myself. I trust my instincts now. I know what I'm gonna do, what I can do, what I can't do. I've been through a lot, and I could go through more, but I hope I don't have to. But if I did, I'd be able to do it. I'm not going to enjoy dying, but there's not much prep for that.

#DO you fear death? "No. I fear dying. Anything with pain associated with it, I don't like. I've been there for a couple of people when they were dying; it didn't look like fun. But if I was gonna do it, I'd want someone like me around. And I will be there!"

#HOW did you find the strength to pick yourself up and recover from so many relapses and difficult moments? "Well, what are the choices? The choices are dying, so you just have to get to the other side of it. I was always able to trust there was one [other side], and I don't know WHY I thought that"

[Bridgetjones]

RIP Carrie Fisher

[Former-Member]

I loved George Michael as a teenage girl,he had a comment regarding his trouble with fame something like he wished he was born with a suit of armour like others to handle life and fame.I wish I had a toughness too as I self destructed leaving the workplace due to bullying etc.I remember when I had anxiety bad in 2012,he was in a centre at Bryon Bay for anxiety as well.It's people like Carrie Fisher and George Michael who remind us that we all struggle and self destruct,but at the end of the day the respect for them remained.

[Former-Member]

Hello! just interrupting, gate crashing threads, grog in hand, kind of a 'pub crawl' to wish you all a Great New Year!!! Stay Strong! 🙂 xox